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50- Trans Am "Sex Change"
49- Band of Horses "Cease to begin"
48- Pelican "City of Echoes"
47- Sunset Rubdown "Random Spirit Lover"
46- Foo Fighters "Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace"
45- Turin Brakes "Dark on Fire"
44- Maserati "Inventions for the New Season"
43- Gruff Rhys "Candylion"
42- Great Lake Swimmers "Ongiara"
41- Jesu "Conqueror"
40- Scale the Summit "Monument"
39- Of Montreal "Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer"
38- The Twilight Sad "Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters"
37- 65daysofstatic "The Destruction of Small Ideas"
36- Dungen "Tio Bitar"
35- The Sea and Cake "Everybody"
34- Calla "Strength in Numbers"
33- !!! "Myth Takes"
32- Stars of the Lid "...And Their Refinement of the Decline"
31- The Six Parts Seven "Casually Smashed to Pieces"
30- Bloc Party released an album this year called "Weekend in the City". At first, I was disappointed. Kele wasn't supposed to sing. He sucked at singing. It's just something he should have realized through the recording process. The barks and shouts of "Silent Alarm" made that debut so promising, so exciting. So different. This time around they were seeming to attemtp to fit in with the rest. Instead of pouring in the Echo & the Bunnymen stylings, they left it out this time in favour of blandly and badly sung vocals.
Once I got over the vocals, I got over everything I had against this album. That was the only glaring flaw, other than some areas in their song composition, but that's neither here nor there. It's filled with delightfully solid songs; some with catchy guitar riffs that I enjoy driving my car to. Plus, SRXT and Kreuzberg are great songs. They touched a nerve(a good nerve) much like "Compliments" from Silent Alarm did. It edged out a couple of the others in the lower 30s for this spot. It was difficult to decide, and I think I made the right decision. From #29 on, it's another league. Heck, that Six parts Seven album really died on me over the last month. Not that where it landed was bad, per se. it's in magnificent company. It's just in August, it was stalking the top 10. No lie. Anyways, this was about Bloc Party. MONDAY MONDAY MONDAY(read: weekend is over).
29-Night has INDEED fallen over Kortedala, and I personally wished daybreak never came. Coming in at #29, Jens Lekman's newest effort is a solid one. I'm not going to mince words, the first two tracks didn't really catch my interest. "And I Remember Every Kiss" was bland, and "Sipping on the Sweet Nectar" reminded me of a cheesy 70's porn, fusing with a chesy 70's sitcom. Probably called Jens and his Third Lek(man). I tried. Honestly, I wanted to like it, but it reminded me of the countless hours as a child in my grandparents' home watching Loveboat, because that's all they could get.
But yeah, "Opposite of Hallelujah" is a hell of a song. From there on, it caught a groove, and really stepped up to the plate. Contrary to what a lot of others say(or believe, whetever) "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo" is not among the best songs on the album. It was a weak end, and that's why this album is sitting here at #30. His lyrics are shoddy at times, but usually just gouda enough to phase over well. The thing that impressed me the most were the backing tracks. Honestly, his vocals are about as good here as ever, but the instrumentals were quite catchy and amazing.
WOW that was a long #29. There's no way i'll be able to keep that pace from now until the end with that load of writing. I'll try to decribe my reasoning, butyou'll have to understand I went off on a total tangent there. Anyways, out of the frying pan and into the fire...
28-To be specific, the Fiery Furnaces' "Widow City". To be honest, I've never been a fan of the vocals in the band. They're usually quirky like the music, but there's something about them that annoys me. The best thing, as usual, are the textures and riffs they bring to the table, and it's enough to feed a city of widows. Ok, that was terrible. I apologize if you vomited from such a bad pun. I'm truly sorry, just arrest me and bring me to the Philadelphia Grand Jury.
Heh, sorry again. I have to stop doing that. It's a good track, though. Very funky start. It's truly their epic, and they get it out of the way first. It goes through numerous 'sounds', yet it keeps its character. It's a magnificent song. Then again, their long songs on this album are their best. "Navy Nurse" has an incredible opening riff. It blew my mind. I had to actually listen to the song twice in a row so I could attempt to focus on the rest of the song. it was spellbinding.
So with all this amazingness, how can this be #28? Easy! Fiery Furnaces make very inconsistent albums! I came into it knowing this and wasn't surprised. In fact, it was really showcased, as both "Philadelphia Grand Jury" and "Navy Nurse" are followed by...subpar songs: "Duplexes of the Dead" and "Uncle Charlie" respectively. This IS their rock album. They pull bits and pieces from 60s and 70s rock, and roll with it quite nicely. I know they can do better. It's just they have ADD and are too ambitious and curious for their own good. I love that fact about them, but they shake my focus each song, and I have a difficult time listening to their album as a whole in a single go, or in the order they lay it out in.
Guh. That took a while too. Blegh. I'll keep away from puns this time.
27- Caribou's "Andorra" was a pleasant surprise, although continually troubling to me. Since I first heard it, it ranged from outside the top 50, to the 20 spot, and around everywhere within. It left me differently each time I heard it through. I'm still unsure if this should be here, but it's where I'm putting it. If nothing else, it's a compelling listen. The intricate texturing is solid and for some reason it reminds me of the golden days of pop music, reminiscent of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, only hushed and modernized. If that makes any sense. In any sense, he outbeat Panda Bear in that regard(success at harkening back to the olden days and bring it back for reals....except with today's bonuses). "Melody Day" is a heck of a song, and it really sets the tone for the entire work. "Andorra"'s sum is greater than its parts, and I give its ending props for pushing this to where it is on the charts. Without the quality finish of "Irene" and "Niobe", this out be off the charts(in the bad direction). It's not that listening to them individually makes much of a difference, but the entire album, up to aundialing is pretty good, but it really ascends and comes into its own in the end, like a ripening fruit. That's why it's sitting at #27.
26- And from here, we go sublime. Not that crappy band; I'm talking about the album. This album, along with all the other electronica albums released this year and in history, go through a rigourous and painful trial. My car. I do a car test, because I have no bass in my home(my sub is done, and the amount of low freqs the crappy $2 eight year old speakers I'm using is microscopic). So it began, and ended with 6 dry runs to and from work, with extra idle time. I actually spent extra money(gas) listening, so it was painful for me. Still, this was solid. It was fun, yet very much like a chillout record. At least, that's my perception, as I'm not so much into the electronica scene as I was 5 year ago as a high-schooler. Anyways, this album rested on the laurels of three songs that made it. "A Paw in My Face", whose riff is an incredibly mixed sample pull(from what I heard) that works incredibly well. "Everday" is a consistent number with an uplifting turn of events midway through(but not before leaving a trail of crumbs, or a path of sings of things to come). It's really quite a significant song, and it's placed perfectly on the album. It builds and builds and builds...
And the third strong song on the album is "Silent". It's magnificent. It's probably the strongest song on the album, by a hair over "Everday" and Paw. It's minimalistic as can be, and so efficient. I can hardly imagine how it could be a better song, or what I could add or subtract. The rest of the songs are mostly forgettable, except the opener, which is pretty rad in its own right. It's lifted to #26 by three songs. It earned the spot. Did it fade away in the end? Yeah. I started getting bored. In fact, on first listen, I wasn't impressed. On a long drive to a friend's though, I actually paid attention to it and realized what was being sent to my ears. The magic faded, but it was still there. That's what counted.
25- Bullseye. Tunng's "Good Arrows" was a very good album. I had a hard time deciding if it was better than the previously mentioned three, but settled on the idea that it was. In honesty, 29 through 25 are all so close, it was mind-numbing to rank them higher than each other. In the end though, Tunng's "Bullets" shot through the rest of the field(and the night, and a poor, poor caribou) to the #25 spot. Honestly, 'Bullets' was too catchy to pass up. What a great song. What a great album. It is, as they say, greater than the sum of its parts, and a whole listen is required to 'get' this album correctly. So why is this better than the others so far? Surely one catchy song can't defeat Fiery Furnaces' and Caribou's two, The Field's three, or Lekman's overall effort? Surely, it cannot. "Spoons" is also an incredible song(if short). The thing is, as a whole, this album is so strong. It rarely has a weak point, and the acoustic-electric hybrid theme really, really sets itself apart from a lot of the other releases I've heard this year.
That one was shorter because I started(with breaks) at 11:00 and it's 1AM now. I still have another half left. They'll likely be a bit short-ish from here on.
24- Feist. Oh sweet, lovely Leslie Feist. Her album, "the Reminder" reminds me of the releases of starlets from the 20s, 30s and 40s. Her wonderful usage of her vocal chords, to emanate various vocal sty|es is a keystone of this album. The album, to me, comes off very minimalist in terms of backing instruments. I hear voices first and foremost at every weave and turn, and it plays to her strengths. In fact, it is something that a few other very good artists do to add drama and emphasis to their voices. Only on "My Moon My Man" are the instruments really put in the foreground, although the vocals are so, so solid that it is difficult to really throw the train off the tracks(like it ever could be). The writing in the album is hit and miss, but when it's rough around the edges, the stylings come up strong and make the track an overall positive note. Women today in pop music shoulld use this as a textbook on how to sing. I've never felt Leslie's range or power was very good. She seems a weak singer, but she studies the art of singing, and takes all those negatives and knits it into a sty|e of her own that is full of character and warmth. It's magnificent, and if girls today would pay attention, they could really change the face of pop music away from overprocessed crap, and into a wonderful world of sound. Instead of one note trumpets, the full range would be unlocked. From "Honey Honey", to her 'cover' of "Sea Lion Woman"(see-line woman, originally, I believe), to the heart-wrenching pinnacle "Limit to Your Love", the album is rife of examples of why this album will likely be remembered for years to come.
23- Much like how I see Feist's album as a potential gateway for young songstresses, I see Robert Plant and Allison Krauss' "Raising Sand" as a potential gateway to widely stereotyped forms of music. I remember a friend of mine was visibly upset(and soon after spoke his digust) about Robert Plant collaborating with "some country chick" to make "white trash sh!t". Truly, minds were shattered when the Zeppelin frontman joined with the best Bluegrass singer IMHO of all time to make something together.
Now, I grew up on country. I wasn't allowed to listen to anything else(my parents controlled the radios, and I wasn't allowed to buy my own) until my 12th birthday when I got ym own stereo. Those years helped me understand country music, and to a point, bluegrass. To this day, I honestly hate what country has become, and bluegrass has been getting much more religious than it's been before(from what I've heard, although even beforehand it WAS quite religious). Still, Allison Krauss and Union Station(AK's band) laid out a couple of songs that I cherish from my childhood. I knew with both of their talents that something amazing was about to happen, and when I got a copy in early december, I wasn't disappointed at all. It's hard to single out any tracks, as all fo them were just so strong. I could hear the chemistry, the fusion of genres...it was incredible. Rock and Bluegrass birthed a beautiful tune here. It'd be a colossal shame fans of either genre to miss out on this.
22- Roar! Finally, Grizzly Bear got to sounding like their name with their EP "Friend". It's re-cycled, it's part-collaboration, it's short. It's an EP, and it's wonderful. It's difficult to place a finger on why this is so good. I still am not sure why I enjoy it more than the aforementioned, but it might have to do with the band actually seeming to be more at ease with their isntruments, and willing to 'let go'. While 'Yellow House' was incredible(and better than this EP), it was very slow. it reminded me of that one Liars' music video of the snail climbing a rock. It events passed without realization. and it made for a magnificent memory. This album, in comparison, exploded out of the gates with the chorus-led 'Alligator' and continued the momentum with "He Hit Me"...eventually, at least. It was heartening. The electric version of "little brother" caught me off guard, and it honestly can't be compared to the original. They're just so different, yet they still carry the same character. It's strange. I guess that's what I like about this. it's Grizzly Bear exploring, and these are their recent experiences(and whom they've met at well).
21- Babies suck. Annoying little things that give me nightmares sometimes. They never listen to reason. Spoon is different. While they may have recited and adapted famous baby words to their album's name("Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga"), they listen. They don't whine all the time, and I don't need to feed them in the wee hours of night and the semi-early hour nearing noon-time. Friggin' babies.
Anyways, Spoon shelled out a safe album, IMHO. It's what they do. They release albums that go with their sound and I can't hate them for that. Not with results like this. They keep refining their craft little by little, and adding c|assics to their catalogue. Where "Gimme Fiction" had 'I Summon You', 'The Beast and Dragon Adored', and 'My Mathematical Mind', "Ga^5"(because babies can't do math, the suckers[sorry for the pun, I couldn't help it]) has "The Ghost fo You Lingers", "The Underdog", and "Black Like Me". Seriously, the only weak track on this is "Eddie's Ragga", and the rest easily makes up for it. There are songs on this, like Spoon's previous efforts, that WILL stand the test of time. That WILL be remembered. We're looking at a band people 30 years from now will use as a standard for how rock music is made. This album will fit in nicely with their catalogue.
20- The Besnard lakes "Are the Dark Horse"
19- Menomena "Friend and Foe"
18- Animal Collective "Strawberry Jam"
17- Liars "Liars"
16- Burial "Untrue"
15- Eluvium "Copia"
14- Alaska in Winter "Dance Party in the Balkans"
13- Port Royal "Afriad to Dance"
12- The Arcade Fire "Neon Bible"
11- Modest Mouse "We Were Dead before The Ship Even Sank"
10- Justice "Cross"
09- Do Make Say Think "You, You're A History In Rust"
08- Explosions in the Sky "All of A sudden I Miss Everyone"
07- LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver"
06- Beirut "The Flying Cub Cup"
ALBUMS! Yeah! LPs! EP! Whatever you want to call them, in any shape and form.
Because the tracks took ever so long, I’m going to get down to it and hit you with my best shot.
The fifth best album of the year is … well, it’s quite unexpected. I didn’t see it coming. It hit me like a wall of bricks…bricks covered in honey and sour gummi worms. Jesca Hoop’s “Kismet” is quite an album. She supposedly babysat for Tom Waits’ kids, so it’s easy to see what kind of influence he had on her, particularly in songs like “Silverscreen” and “Money”. It’s quite phenomenal, how she blends styles, genres, sounds…it’s amazing. My only gripe is that the vocals are very processed sounding at times, but oh well. It usually doesn’t make the song sound worse…it’s just something that always nags me. I had the same problem with Regina Spektor until I actually saw her live and realized she DID sound about that good, so I’ll give Jesca that free. Anyways, this album is…the Surprise of 2007. Forget the sudden release of In Rainbows. This is the surprise. It came out of nowhere. If Jesca, Feist, Regina Spektor, Tori Amos and Sarah Slean got together and toured, she wouldn’t be out of place. Her eccentricity and creativity sell this album. From her gritty songs like “Seed of Wonder” and “Money”, to her soft, heartbreaking songs like “Enemy” and “Love and Love Again”, to her captivating numbers like “Dreams in the Hollow” and ‘Havoc in heaven”, there’s only one slight weak link…a song in seeming tribute to the Hurricane Katrina victims. Even then, it’s quite a nice song. It carries a wandering folk-song feel to it, and really highlights her diversity. It’s stunning.
The fourth best album in 2007, according to me at least, is a late entry. The National’s “Boxer” also caught me off guard, but only because it lived up to the hype I’d previously heard orbiting it. I HATE comparing Tom Waits to this, because they’re so different, and while Matt Berninger(the singer, I think)’s lyrics are quite good, they aren’t Waits’ material. Anyways, where Tom Waits reminds me of a hobo, or a down on his luck man in New Orleans, The National come off as a down on his luck guy in New York or Los Angeles. Less gritty, more angsty. Less grunty, more sullen. Less raw, more introspective(not any musical similarities, just...a small similarity in their pespective). Like all the albums in my top 5, they’re pulled up to the top of the spire due to a complete album lacking of filler. There are standout tracks, but they don’t let you forget the quality of the rest. Songs like ‘Green Gloves’ and ‘Slow Show’, and “Apartment Song’ are all incredible, but they don’t stand out so much as they’re like one of a handful of great stories you remember from your friends. That’s what this album reminds me of. My friends…earned, found, and lost, and all those funny and dirty details of how things came to be. It was instantly nostalgic, and I can’t imagine myself not returning regularly to listen in on songs invoking my old memories.
The third best album of 2007, in my eyes, is Matthew Good’s ‘Hospital Music”. Yes, maybe it’s a biased opinion. I’ve been a fan of Matt’s music ever since he and Dave Genn and Rich Priske enraptured me as a teen as Matthew Good band. Not that he’s vain. Calling the band after him wasn’t his idea, and he’s shown distaste for it ever since. He’s been called an asshole by the media. He’s dealt with inner band conflicts, broken relationships, the band splitting up, various medical illnesses, some mental illnesses, a broken marriage and a divorce, an overdose, and a trip in the mental ward. This album, fittingly titled, documented what he’s endured over the last 2 or so years, and if nothing else, it’s raw. At times it’s heartbreaking, at times it’s childish, at times it’s saddening, at times confusing, at times it’s uplifting. Matt’s writing has never been better, his songwriting has never been better. He covers two songs…one a totally new take of “Moon Over Marin”, made famous by the dead kennedys, and “True Love Will Find You In The End” by daniel Johnston, which as a closer for the album, sums everything up. It’s uplifting, but sorrowful from just understanding everything he’s gone through. It’s a story as much as an album. I journal, if you may. An experience. A hell of an experience.
The second best album in 2007, to me, is Radiohead’s “in Rainbows”. It was close, but to be honest, it doesn’t make it any less great. This was what I was waiting for. I had hoped for something more like KidA or the Bends, but I wasn’t disappointed at all. It’s the most peaceful, mellow album the band has put out, and it simply works. If 15 Step hadn’t waned on me over the last month, and if ‘House of Cards” wasn’t so stale, I would have had this at number 1, but the colossal strength of the rest of the songs pushed this hard. “Videotape” is an epic closer, worthy of the other closing songs Radiohead’s created before. “All I Need” is an incredible dirge that grabs my attention wholly. In “Nude”, Yorke’s vocals have never sounded so good, and it’s tantalizing near the end. Shiver inducing even. I don’t know what else to say. In Rainbows is an album I won’t keep locked away for a rainy day, I’ll tell you that much.
And finally, the best album of 2007 is…..well, you’ve guessed it already by now. By either the process of elimination or…..well, the process of elimination, you’ve likely narrowed it down the one final incredible album. It’s no wonder that Minutes to Midnight is the best album released in 2007. With Chester Bennington’s un-rivaled vocals, and Mike Shinoda’s free flowing verses, and the stellar compositional talents of the entire group, they’ve surpassed their boundaries and are venturing into….aw hell, I can’t keep this up.
Low. LOW’s Drums and Guns is the best album of 2007. It’s a chilling experience from start to finish with only minor tarnishes along the way. It’s not perfect. In fact, it’s almost wounded, from the sounds of it. It’s minimal, and truly rebels against the mantra of “ speak softly and carry a big stick”. They replace guitar solos and instrumental depth with softly played, distanced instruments paired with vocals that sing in your ear…whether it’s whispers of murders, or shouts of betrayal. The only real weak point is “Hatchet”. It doesn’t belong on the album. It doesn’t fit. Still, it’s a nice diversion from all the negativity, and splits the album in two…much like the trackname. I believe the latter half of the album, after ‘hatchet’, is the better of the two, while only harnessing 5 songs. Tracks 1-7 are also excellent, and in ways more brooding, but the second half is raw and bleeding, where the first half is dark and plotting. It’s an incredibly dark album that sounds exactly like they knew what they were doing, and that’s frighteningly good.
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